Can opener support



April 4, 1950 w. w. EDLUND CAN OPENER SUPPORT Original Filed Aug. 22, 1945 4/ INVE NTOR. BY

Patented Apr. 4, 1950 CAN OPENER SUPPORT Walter W. Edlund, Burlington, Vt., assignor to Edlund Company, ship Burlington, Vt., a partner-v Original application August 22, 1945, Serial No. 611,996. Divided and this application August 13, 1946, Serial No. 690,203

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to can openers and has for its object to provide an instrument in which the mechanism for severing the top of the can is contained in a head which is mounted on a vertically movable part adjustable relatively to a base on which the cans are supported, provision being made for fixing the post in any one of a-variety of positions for operating on cans of diiierent sizes when a large number of such are to be opened successively.

Another object of my invention is to provide,

in an instrument having the above described characterization, means which allow the supporting post a movement Within limits in its otherwise fixed position for the accommodation of cans of a selected size to accommodate cans with-i in the tolerances or variations allowed the manufacturers, as well as to allow for such movement as may be required to permit the heads of cans to be placed in operative position beneath the top severing mechanism to facilitate the rapid han dling of cans of specific sizes. 1 I This application is a division of the origina application filed by me August 22,1945, S. N. 611,996. To these and other ends my invention comprises further improvements and advantages as will be further described in the accompanying specification, the novel features thereof being set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a can opener embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional cross section of the head carrying the can top severing knife and its operating mechanism.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the base plate on which the vertically movable post is adjustably supported.

vFigure 4 is a detail view partly in section showing the retaining pin used for locking the Post at a given height which is used when a large number of cans of standard size are to be operated u n. Y igu're 5 is a detail partly in section of the locking device used for securing the supporting post in any selected position of adjustment, preliminary to fixing the post by means of the pin shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the supporting post or column taken on the line Bat-6a: of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals, in the several figures, indicate similar parts.

A can opener embodying the instant invention comprises in part a head I carrying the can top puncturing and severing element. This head is mounted on the upper end of a post or column 2 composed of a rectangular channel, as shown in Fig. 6, which is guided in a sleeve 4 depending at one end of a base plate 5 adapted to be secured to a table top or other horizontal support to form a platform on which cans to be opened are placed in an upright position against the forward edge of the column or post 2. Cans thus supported are in position to be engaged by the head I when it is moved downwardly as a result of guiding the post 2 in the sleeve 4.

The can top severing mechanism is carried within the head I and comprises a knife blade 6 which is adapted to be moved downwardly on an inclined guide 1 by means of a yoke 8, the bifurcated end of which lies in an annular groove in a collar 9. The collar 9 is capable of being reciprocated on a shaft l0, against the tension of a spring H, by an operating handle I2 pivoted on the upper end of the shaft and having a cam surface |3 bearing against the collar 9. The arrangement of these parts is such that when the handle is elevated in the position shown in Fig. 2, the knife 6 is retracted, and when the handle is rotated into a horizontal position, (Fig. 1) the knife will be caused to penetrate the top of the can. Secured to the lower end of shaft I0 is a knurled wheel I4 with which the bead on the upper edge of a can is held in contact by the action of the knife 6 in puncturing the can top. Rotation of the handle 12 thus causes rotation of a can and the complete severance of its top.

The socket 4 of the base plate in which the post 2 is guided is cast with a rectangular opening, the sides of which are recessed so that it is only necessary to machine the corners to provide a smooth running guide for the post 2. Inasmuch as the latter is made in channel form of sheet metal it is desirable therefore to provide a novel means of clamping it in its adjusted position so as to avoid distorting the post. This I accomplish by placing the clamping screw 15 which is used for preliminary clamping purposes at an angle of 45 on one of the outer corners of the socket 4', as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Also in order to obviate the possibility of marring the corner of the post or column I form the inner end of the screw with a separate tip piece 16 which does not rotate when in frictional engagement with the corner of the post. This tip has a stud extending into a recess in the screw bearing at its inner end against a steel ball bearing H, as shown particularly in Fig. 5. This means of securing the post to hold the head I in adjusted position is to be used when successively operating on cans of miscellaneous sizes and also when initially setting the apparatus for successively operating on a number of cans all of the same size. It is usual in restaurantssand institutional kitchens and the like'to operate upon a large number of cans of a given size at one time, hence I provide a second locking means for the post which may be thrown into and out of action as desired.

Cans for preserved fruityvegetables and the like are furnished by the can memufacturersdn standard sizes and to accommodate those most frequently used I provide in one .ofthe. sidesv of the channel forming the postZ, aseries of spaced recesses which may be in the form of notches or apertures properly positioned according to can sizes with respect to the head I, as shown by 18 in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thus several apertures cooperate with a' locking nstud i=9 mounted on one'sideof the socket=4xandmovable inward-1y and outwardly thereon. This studis shown in'detail in Fig.4. It is slidable in a cylindricalboss ZG-andatits-outer end is provided with afinger gripping. knob .2 l Intermediate tits aends arespaced annularchannels 22' and :23 between which is flil'l'filfll'llillfilfzfiifllllfit surface 24. A'radial passage in the-boss '20 carries a pin 25 the inner end-of which engages-in one or the-other of the aforementioned channels, whereby thestud is held" in either its operative or inoperative .posie tion, and may be easily changed fromone position to the other by moving it longitudinally. In order'to yieldingly hold the pin '25 in its recess andurge fi t inwardly I provide a surroundingtsplit circular spring :bandZfiwhich lies withinian annularchannel 21 on the boss. 20.

An'especial object'is accomplished by the zassociationrof the Various'parts above described in that with'the' cutter-6 retracted and'a can placed on the supporting platform or base-";,the post or' column .2 :may be: lowered until .the projecting edge'of the head! -rests uponxthe top edge-or beadofithe can and is permanently secured "by locking the post on its support. Itwill beseen that this placing of the can occurs wholly in ahorizontal direction. Consequently after the top has been severed and the cutter retracted the removal .of thecan'is likewise in a horizontal planerso' that there need be no-spilling f itsicontents.

Wh'en. it? is :desired' to'remove the head from .a single can, :orv amultiplicity "of 'cans, the in-itial position of the severing instrument, with reference to the platform 5, is-determined :by the height of a selected can by lowering the severi-ng head; into engagement therewith, whereupon the post'is first secured by the wing nut 15. If thereafter it is determined that a number of cans of the size for'which the adjustment has already been made are to be operated upon the stud [9 will be moved inwardly intoengagement with one of the apertures l8* and the not timeleased. Thistmode o f 'operation is provided because'it is found in practice that-certain variations occur in cans of a given size, hence by making the apertures l8 elongated, the post 2 may be elevated slightly as required to accommodate an over-size can without disturbing the 5 general adjustment of the instrument. It has also been found in practice that when the position of the cutting head has been once determined for operation on cans of a given size it is .not expedient to allow the post to be elevated any considerable distance when operating on successive cans. This is because of the care- -lessnessof operators and the loss of time experienced if the adjustment is accidentally altered. Hence such movement is limited by the length of the apertures 58 which are only slightly in .eXcess of the tolerance variations that are consid- :erecl permissible in the manufacture of cans.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a support for can b'cclieatshav'rngra rectangular guide sleeve; a rectangular channel 1 forming a post guidedrin the sleeve: and a .set screw on a corner of the guide cooperating' with a corner of the postforinitiallysecuringit with its upper end in selected position'relative to thecan support, sadi post having asseries of' oblong recesses spaced fromits upper end :with reference to the lengths-'oficans of "different sizes, of a push pull stud o-na the guide sleeve adjustable into engagement with one'or another "of said recesses fcllown'lgthe initial 'iSElGCtEd fixationof the post by saidset screw'iandiserving to maintain the post 1n such selected :position when the set screw is released;

2. The 'combinatioir'with a support for can bodies 'havingia-rguide sleeve, a-post vertically adjustable in the sleeve, means on the: sleeve engaging the'post for securing the upper end of the post in'selected position relative to the can support, said postbeing provided with a. series of recesses locatedin spaced relation to its :upper end with reference-to the length of standard sizedmoansp said recesses having-"a length in: excess ofJallowable variations in the length. ofs said cans, of a locking pin on the sleeve cooperating. with a-selected one of-the said recesses'followingtheiiniti'al selected fixation of the post.

WALTER W. EDLUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'oirecordiintthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS .Italy Sept. 25, 1939 

